NORTH of AMERICA present an emotive brand of new music that both recognizes and expands upon the canons and clichés of a decade of guitar based indie rock. While blending the atonal guitar work of early era Chapel Hill bands with the math and dynamics of Chicago's more progressive sound, NORTH of AMERICA find their anchor in the urgency and sincerity of the DC influenced scene, dropping indie rock's typical tongue-in-cheek smarminess in favour of a more intelligent and serious approach. All of this is filtered through a well developed sense of structure and arrangement, preventing the songs from becoming mere exercises in musical athleticism and allowing for the occasional foray into hook-laden pop song delivery.

NORTH of AMERICA formed in December of 1997, following the double hiatus of two Halifax area bands. Mark Mullane and Michael Catano were the principle songwriters for STATE CHAMPS, whose Underclassed By Excess EP received rave reviews in both Canada and the U.S., and enabled them to share the stage with the likes of Tortoise, Syrup USA, Scud Mountain Boys, Boyracer, Papas Fritas, Sloan and many more. When STATE CHAMPS called it quits in the fall of 1997, Catano and Mullane approached J. LaPointe with the intention of forming a new band. LaPointe was one half of Truro, Nova Scotia's cult favorites The MOTES, who at the time were just finishing the recording of what was to be their final release. Mark Colavecchia met his future bandmates at one of the last STATE CHAMPS shows and instantly provided the essential fourth element, enabling the band to begin writing and playing shows almost immediately.
J. LaPointe left the band after its second European tour in summer 2001 and was replaced by Jim MacAlpine on the bass – and North of America added a new straightness and excitement to their sound.

All four members of NORTH of AMERICA write and sing, meaning that the band switches instruments both live and in the studio. Four writers also means that there has been no shortage of new material, as evidenced by their prolific output. The debut ep "Elements of an Incomplete Map" was released in June of 1998, just six months after the band formed. The record was well received in Canada and the US, eventually reaching #4 on Canadian college radio charts. A short tour in July of 1998 saw the band play throughout the eastern US and Canada with Lenola, Spiny Anteaters, Braid and Fugazi.

In early 2000 Rewika Records released the bands first full length album “these songs are cursed” in Europe. The release was followed by an extensive 6 week tour throughout Germany, U.K., France, Italy, the Neatherlands and Belgium. “The Sepultura” EP followed only a couple of months later and in 2001 the band recorded their second full length “This is dance floor numerology” with Juan Luis Carrera (of Pirate House Studios, Washington, DC – Fame) and Bill Skibbe (of Electrical Audio, Chicago, IL – Fame). Their second European was a huge success and without a doubt “This is Dance floor numerology” turned out to be the bands most coherent and complex album to date. And it is, in times when about 666 666 bands become soft and calm, an important landmark. It is loud. Urgent. Political. Straight in your face. “This is dance floor numerology” is PUNKROCK. Still or, maybe, again: one of the most essential kinds of music. A real killer. Tricky. Nervous. Loud (as we mentioned before). Dangerous. Concious. Which goes to say for the latest release “Brothers, sisters” as well, though it obviously shows a new sense of arrangement and melody to the band.
Still anything is possible – from hardboiled Screamo-Mathrock-whatever-core to superb indierock-hymns. NORTH OF AMERICA are different on any release. Check it our for yourselves: NORTH OF AMERICA: an own sound and an own history…